Father of Modernisation
4th Prime Minister
Father of Modernisation
1981 - 2003
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was born on the 10th of June 1925 in the late afternoon in Alor Star, Kedah to Mohamad Iskandar a headmaster and Wan Tempawan Wan Hanapi. He was the youngest of 9 children...6 boys and 3 girls. His brothers were Murad, Mustaffa, Mahadi, Mashahor and Omar while his sisters were Rafeah, Habsah and Johora. He was taught with discipline by his father Mohamad Iskandar. He had his early education at a Malay school and continued it at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Kedah.
His father always asked him to read books and Dr. Mahathir did not object because his father was very strict. Everyday when his father got home from work he would cough in front of the house and when Dr. Mahathir heard it he would rush and get a book to read as he was scared of being scolded by his father. Dr. Mahathir was a veracious reader and spent most of his free time reading. As there was no electricity at night he would read under the light of an oil lamp and this affected his eye sight causing him to wear spectacles at the age of 12.
It was also emphasized that he got religious knowledge and thus everyday from 4 to 5pm he and his friends were taught the Quran. He mother made sure that by 11am every Friday all her sons were bathed and ready to go to the mosque for Friday prayers.
Dr. Mahathir was a quiet and shy boy, he never liked sitting in either the front or back of the class but rather in the middle. He always became the English debating champion and was made a librarian. This made him very happy as it enabled him to read more.
In sports, Dr. Mahathir liked rugby, cycling and roller skating and one of the places that Dr. Mahathir use to pass when cycling and roller skating was Telok Wanjah Road. Nowadays, however he prefers riding horses.
Everyday, Dr. Mahathir was given 4 cents as pocket money for school and it was this money that he spent on coffee and cakes during recess. He used to go to Seberang Perak Malay School on trishaw with his older brother Mashahor until 1932. He was a hardworking and bright student and always paid attention when the teachers were teaching. If there were any afternoon activities he would be left out from it.
As Dr. Mahathir did not want to be left behind in his school activities he asked his father to get him a bicycle. Although at that time it was difficult for his father to buy it with the amount he was earning but thinking of its vitality in his son's education and success he bought the bicycle for Dr. Mahathir.
One day as he returned to school he saw his father talking to Indian man in all white attire carrying a black umbrella. It was only then he realized the difficulty his father had to go through to pay for his bicycle. His father had taken a loan from a money lender.
Dr. Mahathir also didn't eat fish except for sardine, anchovies and dried fish. This was because when he was young his mother used to tell him if one eats fish then ones stomach would be filled with worms. Although he grew up to be a doctor and knew what his mother said wasn't true but it had become a part of him.
To find extra pocket money, Dr. Mahathir and his friend named Othman Bakar used to sell balloons in school. He also sold chickens but that only lasted one day. He then ventured into operating a hawker stall in partnership with his two friends Johari Mohamad Taib and Noor Madar and located it by the river near Pekan Rabu. It was from here that he continued his ventures by selling fruits and handicrafts. Although he was busy with the business he never left his books. Where ever he went he always carried books to read and could be labeled a bookworm.
Dr. Mahathir has been active in politics since 1945 and joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1946. He was one of its founding members.
When the 2nd World War ended, Dr. Mahathir obtained his Senior Cambridge and embarked on his medical studies at King Edward VII College of Medicine, University of Malaya in Singapore and obtained his degree in 1953.
It was while studying at the university that he met Dr. Siti Hasmah and was captivated by her beauty. As fate had it they were married on the 5th of August 1956. They were blessed with 7 children Marina, Mirzan, Melinda, Mokhzani, Mukhriz, Maizura and Mazhar.
Dr. Mahathir whose shortened name was 'Che Det' from 1954-1956 the Medical Officer at the Alor Star General Hospital. His relationship with his parents, brothers and sisters were very close due to the nurturing of his parents.
Although he was a doctor, husband and father the love for both his parents were extremely deep and this was proven when his father passed away in 1960 and his mother in 1966. As a child that loved his parents very much he shed tears of sadness when his parents passed away and was filled with heartache and sorrow. He felt that he still had not repaid and could never repay all that they did for him. When he had opened his clinic which was named 'MAHA' in Alor Star he would everyday stop by his parents house to see how they were doing before he went home. At his clinic he would render health services to everyone and at times not charge anything. This was because he could not charge those were unable to afford it.
Dr. Mahathir was also blessed with the ability to write. When he was a young adult he used to write a lot of articles for English newspaper Sunday Times under the pen name 'Che Det'. He always wrote about the Malays and made them realize a lot. While at university he continued to write and the money he received was saved. It was also this money he used to travel and buy his first motorbike for use in campus.
When the British wanted to remove the power of the Malay Rulers he wrote a flyer and made a lot of copies using money given by his father to be distributed to the people. In the flyer he asked the Malays to rise and voice their opposition so that the English do not carry out this agenda.
Other then writings in newspapers he also wrote a lot of books on many issues such as economy, social and others and still this do when he became Prime Minister. A lot of his books have been translated into other languages.
In the 1964 General Elections he won a parliamentary seat and was elected a Member of Parliament however he subsequently lost it in 1969.
Due to his interest in the nation's education he was appointed Chairman of the first Higher Education Council in 1968 and in 1972 Member of the Higher Education Advisory Council. In 1974 was appointed Member of the University Court and University Malaya Council and Chairman of the National University Council. In 1975, Dr. Mahathir was appointed Education Minister and due to this he understood the need for " education for the people" in order to achieve his dream of a developed Malaysia. As Prime Minister he strongly promoted his agenda of quantity and quality higher education. To cater for those from the lower income indigenous group boarding type schools were promoted and built. Tens of thousands were sent overseas on government scholarship. This has led Malaysia to have the third largest number of students going to western type countries to pursue their education after China and India. When he first became Prime Minister, the number of universities were limited, making admission highly competitive. Towards his later years, Dr. Mahathir promoted the liberalization of university start ups, leading to branch campuses being built or even permanent tie- ups with some of the most prestigious universities in the world. Private companies which had a long standing history in Malaysia were also encouraged to set up and run partnerships and higher education centres.
It was because of his loving and considerate character that he was known as UMNO doctor. However, all that was not important to him except that he could provide service to people who needed it.
Dr. Mahathir did not have the heart to see the Muslims in the world tortured and would act swiftly to make his stand against it known. All this was due to the heart of a leader that was honest and sincere.
Dr. Mahathir was sacked from the party on the 26th of September 1969 for his differences with Tunku Abdul Rahman and was once branded an Ultra Malay however was brought back into the fold by Tun Abdul Razak due to his loyalty in 1972 and was appointed Senator in 1973. However he resigned from to this post to be able to run in the 1974 General Elections which he won and was appointed Minister of Education.
In 1976, Dr. Mahathir was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and in a cabinet reshuffle 2 years later he was made Minister of Trade and Industry.
In the 1975, UMNO elections he won one of three Vice Presidents seats and in 1978 he won the Deputy President seat. On the 16th of July 1981 Dr. Mahathir was appointed Prime Minister, taking over from Tun Hussein Onn who had resigned on health reasons. In 1981, he was appointed President of UMNO and returned unopposed in 1984.
As Prime Minister he carried on the struggles of the leaders before him. He was sharp, clever and far-sighted. He made Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak the same time. Dr. Mahathir also changed the way the people of Malaysia thought and acted. When in the past we could not even create a needle but with his constant prodding and guidance we became confidence with our ability until we were able to make our own national car.
Under the leadership of Dr. Mahathir Malaysia succeeded in becoming a developing nation and example for other countries in the third world to learn. The life of the people under his government's leadership was also very prosperous and comfortable.
The ambitions that were in Dr. Mahathir were very high and pure. He wanted the people intelligent, clever, rich, highly educated, dynamic, efficient, strong religious beliefs and morals. He didn't want the people gullible, made fools of easily and stooges of other countries. He didn't want the people to give up easily without even trying hard.
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